Beauty and the Beast
by My Little Harlequin
Summary: Everything changes when Rachel is swept into the world of the Joker,a world of betrayal,blackmail and worse.The Joker seduces Rachel,and she sacrifices all she knows and loves until he breaks her heart.Will no one get over the chaos caused by the Joker?
1. The Bad Beginning

Rachel was sitting at home when Bruce came home.

'Hey, B!" Rachel exclaimed. "How'd it go with the press conference?"

"Terrible!" Bruce moaned. "The media bombarded me with questions and I forgot all the answers! Why do I always do that?"

He collapsed onto the couch, and then looked up at Rachel inquisitively. "Oh yeah, Rach, I forgot to ask you...how ya looking forward to your meeting with him?"

Rachel scowled at him. "Him, as you so call him, is a person, just like you or I, and underneath that makeup there is a human being! I'm dead sure of it!"

Bruce gave her a sarcastic look. "Don't die being dead sure, Rach! Remember that!"

Later on that day, Rachel set off for Arkham Prison. Once she was inside, she spotted Jim Gordon and flagged him down. "How's he doing?"

Jim raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Are you sure you care?"

Rachel playfully punched him on the shoulder." Do you think I'm heartless?

Jim grinned. "Ya want me to answer that?

Rachel blushed. "Whatever...I'm going in!"

Rachel opened the door to the prison cell. She took care to close it behind her very slowly, trying to avoid the terrible face that was behind her. Finally she turned around. The Joker licked his red lips, like a cat that's just spotted a juicy mouse.

"Well, hello beautiful! You must be Harvey's girl, huh? And you are beautiful!"

Rachel didn't take compliments easy, especially not from criminals. "Shut up and talk!"

The Joker's dark eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Hang on...what do I have to talk about with you?"

"A lot!" Rachel retorted. "You are going to tell me what you have against Batman and the whole city of Gotham!"

The Joker giggled. "Nothing! I just do whatever I feel like, it makes things so much more fun...And as for Batboy, he completes me! I have nothing against him, except the fact that he couldn't come here himself, leaving the dirty work up to a girl...even to a guy like me that's cold!

Rachel's hazel eyes narrowed. "Oh, come on! When has Bruce ever been one for-" She gasped. _Please don't let me have said that out loud!_ She thought desperately.

But the Joker was smiling slyly. Rachel could almost hear his triumphant thoughts as he put the pieces of the puzzle together. "Bruce...Wayne? Millionaire Playboy?!"

Rachel shook her head desperately. The Joker cackled. "Your denial seals the deal! Who would've thought Bruce Wayne could be Batman?! " He burst out laughing, clutching his sides as if they were going to split open from laughter.

Rachel gave in to sheer panic. "No, you must not tell! Bruce will hate me for the rest of my life! Please, Joker, you mustn't tell! I will do anything, just keep your mouth shut!" And she burst into frightened sobs. Jim Gordon came in and escorted her from the cell, leaving the Joker laughing like the insane maniac he was. He couldn't keep one thought out of his head though. _Anything_...


	2. Phantom Phone Call

When Rachel returned to her apartment , drying her eyes and wiping her cheeks free of tears, she saw Bruce eating dinner on her bed. He looked up as she came in the door.

"Hello, Rachel! You're early! How'd it go with the Joker?

Rachel let out a dry sob. "You were right, Bruce! He's a freak, a clown, and a psycho, and I never want to see him again!" On the last word her voice broke, and she started weeping tears of guilt. Bruce was very concerned. _It's not like her to be so riled,_ Bruce thought. She was usually calm, warm and funny, not fragile and teary.

"Hey, Rachel, are you okay? I mean, I know the Joker plays insane mind games, but I wouldn't have thought you'd be in tears about it!"

Rachel looked up at him. He was so nice, and she'd ruined it all. "It's not that...I-" Rachel tried to tell him what she'd done, but the words stuck in her throat and she felt as if she were choking. Perhaps she looked it too, as Bruce said kindly, "Rach, do you want to be alone for a while...just til you calm down?"

Rachel nodded. Right now she just wanted to go to sleep and pretend this whole day had been a bad dream. Bruce smiled. "OK. I'll be with Jim at Arkham. Call if you need me." He left. Rachel was slipping into bed when she heard the familiar sound of the phone. Rachel rolled her still slightly wet eyes and answered it. A familiar cackle sounded from the other end. "Oh, not you!" Rachel groaned.

"Hello, beautiful!" The Joker's familiar voice greeted her. "How's it hanging since our little... incident?"

Rachel sighed. "What the hell do you want? Get it over with so I can go to sleep!"

"I've decided what you can do for me in exchange for me not telling Bats what you told me..."

"You're blackmailing me?!" Rachel snarled.

"Well, you said you'd do anything, dollface...we'll have to wait and see how far I choose to take that anything, won't we?

"No wonder your only friends are insane creeps!" Rachel spat. "Who would come near you with a ten foot pole, you slimy little-"

"Hey, now you're just getting abusive! Do you want me to tell Brucey or not?

Rachel didn't answer. The Joker giggled. "I didn't think so! Now, this is what you will do. Meet me outside the prison tomorrow evening."

"And if I choose not?" Rachel questioned, already dreading the answer.

"Well...lets just say you'll _suffer _the consequences...I might have to punish you! Keep smilin'."

His hideous laughter sounded in Rachel's ear as the phone went dead.


	3. Time Is Running Out

Rachel walked to the prison of Arkham, her chocolate coloured hair blowing in the breeze. She stood outside the doors, waiting. How the hell could the Joker even get out of prison anyway? It wasn't likely that he would ever be released for the rest of his life. Rachel waited for what seemed like ages. It was starting to get dark. _Joker, if you're out there, __now__ would be a good time to appear!_ She thought. As if the Joker had heard her thoughts, Rachel heard a familiar cackle coming from around the corner. Rachel walked to the corner of the prison wall and peeked round. No one there. She heard footsteps behind her and spun around violently. Nothing. Rachel was getting very creeped out. Suddenly, a shadow fell above her. Rachel had an idea where someone might be. She casually walked to the corner and then looked up suddenly. Bugger. Not a soul. She turned back around-

"Hello beautiful." The Joker smiled. Rachel gave a startled shriek. "Bloody hell! You just said you were going to meet me! Well, it's no use now! It's nearly nine and I want to go to bed!

The Joker smirked. "Don't worry, lovie, we have plenty of time!"

"What-" Rachel had begun to say when-

"Sweet dreams!" The fist came out of nowhere. Rachel was unconscious as two of the Joker's goons carried her into their car and drove away.

Rachel woke up in a small room. And coughed. The entire place had a very strong aroma of gunpowder. Rachel was sitting in front of a computer, tied to a chair in front of it. She spied a webcam on the top, and a microphone snaking towards her mouth. There was also a faint ticking noise coming from behind her. As if just from looking at it, the computer turned on, as did the webcam, and the microphone crackled into action.

"Help! Can anyone see or hear me?" Rachel cried, looking at the camera. She was relieved when her bosses face came into view on the screen.

"Rachel, are you all right?" Harvey Dent's voice came urgently through another microphone, apparently from the computer in his office.

"I'm okay!" Rachel answered. "But I can't remember what happened or how I got here; I don't know where I am!" Rachel was really starting to panic now. All she could remember was a high voice saying, "Sweet Dreams" and her head hurt, so she suspected she'd been punched.

"Rachel, you've been kidnapped. The Joker's got you in his apartment. Do you remember what it looks like?"

"NO!" Rachel shouted. "Listen, Mr Dent, you have got to get here! There's a bomb strapped to me and I don't know when it's going to go off!" Rachel started to cry. It was embarrassing to cry in front of her boss, even on webcam, but the panic was too much. And hearing every unknown second of her life ticking away was too much.

"Oh my God! Rachel, just stay calm! I'm going for help! Don't do anything that might set the bomb off!" Harvey exited the screen.

Rachel didn't call after him, didn't ask him to stay there, her mind was completely frozen, every particle of her being concentrated on two things. The bomb behind her, and the thought of who would find her before the bomb went off, and she was lost forever?


	4. A Tragic Tale

The door blasted open. A tall figure stood in the doorway. When he moved in closer, Rachel automatically recognised Batman.

"Bruce, quick, get me out of here!" She cried.

"This bomb goes off in one minute, so we're going to have to go to emergency measures! Team!"

A bomb squad raced in, Jim Gordon at the helm. As they set to work, Jim kneeled down to Rachel's eye level and said seriously, "Rachel, I cannot impress upon you the crucialness of not moving! If you move an inch, this bomb will go off."

Rachel couldn't reply. Her face was screwed up with the concentration of not moving a muscle. After what seemed like hours, or possibly days, one of the men behind her breathed a sigh of relief. "It's defused."

Rachel sat silently as Jim undid her ropes. As soon as the ropes holding her to the chair were off, Rachel slid to the floor in a dead faint...

Rachel woke up back in her room, safe under the purple sheets of her bed. There was a note next to her. Rachel read it with sleepy eyes. It was from Jim.

_Rachel,_

_Look after yourself, okay? We'll be sending someone around tomorrow morning to make sure the clown doesn't make another attempt._

_Regards, Jim Gordon_

Rachel moaned. A police escort. Why couldn't anyone realise that she knew how to take care of herself? At that moment, there was a tap at the door. _Who the hell calls at this time of night? _Rachel thought to herself. She heard a strange noise, like feet sliding over carpet as something was pushed under the door. Rachel was curious now. She approached the door cautiously and picked up the thing that had been slid under the door. A card. Rachel turned it over. _Oh my God, a Joker card. Where the bloody hell is Bruce when you need him? _Rachel was dead sure that in a matter of seconds the Joker would break the door down and kidnap her or something terrible like that. Rachel held her breath. When she was finally starting to relax again, there was another tap at the door. Rachel covered her mouth with her hands to muffle the shriek that threatened to escape her. "Rach, it's Bruce! Let me in, I've something important to tell you!"

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Bruce. She opened the door. "Hi Bruce! What brings you here this time of night?"

"I couldn't wait till morning...this is something very important!

"Sit down, Bruce." Rachel said. She was interested in spite of herself.

Bruce's face looked tired, serious and sick. "Rachel, this is about the Joker. It is very disturbing, but you need to know more than all of us, since he seems to have developed a particular interest in you!

While I was with the Commissioner, I was looking through some files. Particularly interesting was one with the name Melvin White."

"Go on, Bruce!" Rachel said softly. They were finally going to hear of the Joker's history.

"His parent's names were Jack and Elena White. To the outside world they seemed a happy family. But they were far from it. At age 7, Melvin's father was recovering from alcohol abuse. One night Mr White found out that his best friend had died in a murder case. He once again turned to the bottle for comfort. When he returned home, very drunk, Elena started yelling at him for turning back to his addiction. In his inebriated state, he attacked her with the kitchen knife she had been using to chop celery for dinner. He then turned and saw Melvin standing in the doorway, obviously horrified. He turned on him and attacked him with the knife as well; turning him into the monster he is today. Also, Elena died soon after, so that wouldn't have helped."

Rachel felt salty tears running down her cheeks. She had always cried easily, and this was soooo sad. "Bruce, that's terrible!" Her hazel eyes darkened. "I have to talk to him about this! Bruce, do you know where he is?"

Bruce thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know, but I have a hunch-

Rachel didn't let him finish. "Let's get Alfred..."


	5. Unlucky 13

Alfred drove Rachel up to a deserted building. "Don't forget, Miss Rachel, Room 13."

"Thank you, Alfred." Rachel gave him a grateful kiss on the cheek. Alfred waved and drove off as Rachel climbed the stairs to Room 13. _Unlucky 13_, Rachel thought to herself. She gave her dark haired head a shake, reminding herself, _everything will be fine. We're just talking. _That didn't stop Rachel from feeling nervous as she knocked softly on the door. There was no answer, but still Rachel went in. And coughed. Again, this room also had a strong aroma of gunpowder. She could see it swirling around in the air. She gave a start when she saw the Joker lying on a bed at the far corner of a room. She almost giggled as she thought of him in pyjamas. When she got closer, she realised: _Yuck, he wears makeup while he's asleep! Wonder what the pillow looks like in the morning?_ Rachel moved closer, put her mouth to the Joker's ear and whispered, "Wake up, sleepy!" The Joker awoke with a furious yell. Rachel got a shock.

"Whoa! Somebody was having bad dreams!"

The Joker turned to look at her. "Oh, hello beautiful! Long time, no see, huh?

"Nice PJ's, tough guy!" Rachel giggled, looking pointedly at his purple cow pyjamas. The Joker grinned.

"I know, right? They are gorgeous...just like you in the middle of the night!" He got out of the bed, a slightly lustful look in those brown eyes. Perhaps Rachel showed fear, because the Joker smirked and said, "Why so serious, dollface? You know, you never smile when you're around me. You should. Everyone loves a smile! Did I ever tell you that I got my scars from being too serious? Yes...my blessed Father was a great guy, the kind who particularly enjoyed getting drunk all the time and killing people. And one night, he goes off crazier than usual! Mommy takes the kitchen knife to defend herself, and he doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me and says, "Why so Serious?" He comes at me with the knife..."Why so Serious?" He puts the blade in my mouth..."Let's put a smile on that face!" And..." Rachel interrupted him.

"Don't say it, Melvin! I already know all about what happened to you!" She cried, putting her hands over her ears. The Joker whirled on her. "How did you find out?"

"Bruce told me." Rachel said softly. The Joker smiled. "Oh yes, precious Batboy! And you thought you would come here, feeling sooo sorry for little old me, and we could talk about it? Sorry, lovie, but it doesn't work that way! Life is hard!"

"You think I don't know that?" Rachel scowled at him. "Because of you, my life has been ultra-hard these last few days!

The Joker laughed. "Sweetheart, I live on the edge! I fully know what hard is! You pretty young girl"...he ran a finger over her lips, "can't even begin to imagine it!"

"Oh yeah?" Rachel challenged. "Try me!"

The Joker smiled. "OK, I'll try you...wanna play a game, princess?"

Rachel narrowed her hazel eyes suspiciously. "What kind of game?"

"Truth or Dare!" The Joker crowed. "The best game in the world! You probably already know how to play from your cute little school days...I'm going to choose first!"

Rachel prayed in her head, _Please not dare, please not dare! _"STOP."

The Joker licked his lips. "Truth."

Rachel almost breathed a sigh of relief. "OK, go on!" She said eagerly, looking forward to seeing where this was going.

"Keen, are we?" The Joker asked. "Very well, then!" He put his lips to Rachel's ear, ran a finger over her cheek and whispered, "Are you attracted to me?"...


	6. Truth Or Dare

Rachel frowned. "I have to answer that honestly?"

The Joker rolled his eyes. "Duh. That's why it's called Truth."

"Sometimes you attract my attention..." Rachel admitted grudgingly, "but that's only because you're an insane puzzle that has to be solved!" She did not want to give this man the wrong idea.

The Joker smiled. "Thanks for the lovely words of endearment, beautiful. Now it's your turn!"

Rachel ran over the words in her head. _Truth, Dare, Double Dare, Torture, Kiss, Promise. _She heard the Joker say, "OK, stop" and smiled. "Promise!" She said slyly. "OK...you have to promise that you won't tell Bruce that you know of who he is!"

The Joker just smirked. "Sorry, beautiful, but it seems that you have forgotten who's blackmailing who here! Additionally, you have also wasted your go...so now it's my turn again!"

Rachel once more thought, _Don't be Dare, Don't be dare, Don't be Dare! "_STOP"

The Joker giggled softly. "Dare."

Rachel moaned. Of all the luck.

The Joker's eyes brightened. "All right, I've got one. Now..." he leaned forwards on the bed, licking those blood red lips of his, "Kiss me."


	7. Harlequin

Rachel paled. "Oh, please don't make me do this! Have a heart!

The Joker smiled. "Sorry, beautiful, that organ was ripped out a long time ago!

Rachel turned her face away, not looking at this monster.

"Can't seem to resist me, can you?" The Joker asked sarcastically. Rachel did not pick up on the sarcasm. She gave him a disgusted look.

"I can resist you any time I want to! I have self restraint, not that I'd need it, and I-"

The words froze on her lips as the Joker expertly flicked out one of his knives and ran it up her arm, making her skin tingle. Rachel shivered. The Joker grinned.

"Whoops, looks like you got a little chilly! Someone needs to get you hot, and that someone could just be me!" He giggled.

Rachel tugged her arm out of his grasp. "Keep it in those pyjamas or I'll cut it off and send it to your mother!" She immediately wished she hadn't said that. _Oh God. Sore subject. _

The Joker's eyes darkened momentarily, but then he smiled and let the comment slide. "A little fight in you. I like that! But the thing about fights, is how to know when to...give in!" Lightning fast, he seized her and threw her onto the bed. The Joker grabbed Rachel by the arms and stared deep into her eyes from above her. "Get. Your. _Filthy. _Hands. Off. Of. Me!" Rachel snarled. "Hey, that's mean, I only washed my hands a month ago!" The Joker smiled.

"Now..." he growled, nipping the soft flesh of her white neck while she closed her eyes in horror, "tell me why you're so hostile! Why come here if you didn't know that this", he began undoing the bow tying the top of her dress together, "was going to happen?"

"Curious." Rachel ground her teeth furiously and tried to slap his hands away, but they were persistent.

"Yes...a trait within us all, but answer me this...were you curious of me...or the places I could take you to?" the Joker asked slyly.

Rachel grimaced. "Neither. Your family, as you well know!"

"_Well I hardly think that's relevant right now_!" The Joker snapped. He seemed to force himself under control by staring at her once again, and traced her lips longingly with a finger.

"Come on, Rach! I'm human, you know!" He sounded far more serious than Rachel had ever heard him before, and she was surprised. "I want what all other guys want...I just want it more! I've always been the bad boy, and everyone loves the villains...even you!"

He was dangerously close now. Rachel was close enough to personally examine every inch of his scars, the scars that had probably caused him a lot of pain and neglect over the years. He had probably been without proper love and care since the day he was transformed into this monster, and Rachel decided it was up to her to save him, to show him what love and care was like. Slowly, she closed the little distance between them, and kissed him softly on the lips. She felt the Joker stiffen momentarily. He hadn't really thought she'd do the dare! But it had turned into something more than that. With a growl, the Joker grabbed the front of that stupid dress and in one smooth movement, tore it completely apart, leaving Rachel only in a black lace bra and matching undies. She pulled his pale green hair, bringing his unwavering attention back to her, her dark hair streaming all around her. Rachel closed her eyes and mouthed, _Do it. _The Joker was only too happy to comply. His lips came crashing down on hers, biting them almost violently. Rachel allowed his tongue to enter her mouth, and the battle for dominance began. Everything slowed to a crawl as the Joker moved onto her neck, and like a vampire, bit and sucked the blood coming from the small tooth marked cuts. Rachel felt her desire for him growing in the passion filled space. She wasn't going to be content for much longer with just kissing. She guided his lips toward her own, and when she kissed him, it was a soft, sweet, tender kiss, not at all like his rough ones, but still Rachel felt a strong pain from her lips. She pulled back from the kiss and felt her lips. When she took her fingers away and looked at them, she gasped.

"I'm bleeding. A lot!"

The Joker took one look at her and burst out laughing. "Look at that face!" He choked in between raucous peals o laughter.

"Oh God!" Rachel ran to the mirror in his bathroom. "Yuck!" Rachel's lips were smeared with red lipstick. On some parts of her face she had deathly white makeup, and some of the Joker's black eyeliner had rubbed off on her cheeks. "I look like you!" Rachel hissed. The Joker smiled.

"My little harlequin!" He said fondly. "We could be quite the double act!

"I don't think so!" Rachel shot back, but she was covering a smile. "I'm washing this disgusting stuff off and you should too! Makeup is not good for your skin, you know!"

"Well, to each his own!" The Joker replied. "In case you hadn't noticed, our game wasn't quite finished when we started our entertainment system, but now it's your turn."


	8. A Needed Interruption

Rachel was on her way to the bathroom when she stopped and stood very still, listening intently.

"What is that?"

The Joker listened too. Very quietly at first, then louder and louder, there came a series of huge bangs on the door, as if someone was trying to break it down.

As the door received a shuddering blow, Rachel threw herself across the room and into the Joker's arms. It was very childish behaviour, but Rachel was scared that it was a murderer or something awful like that. The Joker, however, seemed to be on a different train of thought entirely.

"They'll never take me alive!" He muttered to himself, thinking, obviously, of the psychiatric ward.

The door blasted open. Rachel gave a shriek of horror and closed her eyes. There was a dark figure in the doorway. When Rachel once again opened her eyes, she sighed with relief.

"Bru- I mean, Batman! What are you doing here?"

Batman frowned at Rachel. "Why didn't you come back out? I was worried!" He took a closer look at Rachel. "Rach, what happened to your dress? And what _is _that stuff?" He looked pointedly at Rachel's powder covered face.

The Joker grinned. "Oh, you know, just another of our dares. We've been playing the most fun game of Truth or Dare ever! Did anyone ever tell you how good she is at kissing? Oh boy, we-"But he never got to finish his sentence because Batman covered the Joker's mouth with one hand, making his words all muffled.

"Rach, is this true? You did kiss him?" Batman asked. Rachel lowered her hazel eyes. She had betrayed Bruce. "Yes."

Batman looked at Rachel in concern. "Did he force you?" Rachel wrinkled her nose at the idea. "No." she admitted. Batman's mouth tightened into a straight line, as it did when he was mad.

"We're going, Rachel!"

Rachel was too tired to nod. Batman picked up a sleepy Rachel and carried her out to his car. She was asleep before it was even in gear.


	9. Awakening

The next morning, Rachel woke up in her apartment, she heard the cheerful sound of birds chirping. She walked to the mirror and looked deep into it. The makeup was gone. Bruce must have sponged it off last night. She was grateful. It was as if the whole memory of the Joker had evaporated like mist. But Rachel didn't want to forget it. She couldn't pretend she hadn't enjoyed last night. She turned on the TV to catch the 9:00 news. She gave a start when the Joker's familiar face filled the screen.

The Joker gave a high laugh and pointed at a building behind him on the street.

"Hello, people of Gotham! Missing your White Knight? No? Well, you are now! This bomb goes off in an hour, and I am putting my girl to the test. Rachel, if you can see this, beautiful, hurry to the other side of Gotham, to this lovely, deserted old greenhouse, and I might let Harvey go, in exchange for you! Stress might, cos if he dies, less competition for Bats and I, right? Love ya!" He blew a kiss at the camera and Rachel switched the TV off, stunned.

She had to go and rescue her boss. Right now, though, she had to think of a plan, and she had a pretty good idea what to do...


	10. Fall Of A White Knight

Rachel arrived at the greenhouse 50 minutes later, wearing a long overcoat. It had taken a long time to get to the other side of Gotham. She walked inside, and smiled when she saw the Joker toying with a recorder. He quickly put it down when he saw her.

"Hello, beautiful! Come to rescue the DA?"

Rachel smiled and shook her head. "I came to a decision last night, Joker! I love you. I'd rather be with you than any of the stuffed shirts out in the office, or even Bruce! And, by the way," she stroked his lips with her finger, moving in closer, "I don't think we had quite finished our little game when we were so rudely interrupted by Batman, had we? So, do we continue, or is it _game over?" _Rachel whispered seductively. Her lips moved ever closer to the Joker's. He closed his eyes...

And she punched him hard in the jaw. His eyes rolled backwards and he slumped to the ground.

"_Suck on that, you stupid old git!" _Rachel thought triumphantly. Now to rescue Mr Dent...

"Harvey, where are you?" Rachel roared. She heard a weak reply coming from a door on her left, and she banged it open. Harvey lay on the floor, tied up completely, next to a spilled barrel of oil.

"Rach, is that you? Are you really here?" Rachel, always the empathetic person, felt her eyes well up in sympathetic tears for Harvey's predicament.

"I'm here, really!" Rachel sobbed. "My God, what has he done to you?"

Harvey gazed up at Rachel. "Rachel, untie me and let's get the hell out of here!"

Rachel did so quickly, and as she worked to untie him, she noticed that half of Harvey's face was immersed in oil. She made to wipe it off, but Harvey stopped her. 30 seconds left. They ran for their lives. Rachel and Harvey threw themselves out the door of the greenhouse, landing a few feet away from the doorstep. Rachel was trying to pull Harvey back up onto his feet when the greenhouse exploded in a colossal fireball, as huge as a mountain. Blinded by ash, Rachel tripped over something and sat down hard on the ground. She felt a momentary pang of guilt. She had left the Joker inside. The guiltiness soon passed. _If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been in this situation anyway!_ She justified. Her pretty face blackened by soot, she turned to smile at Harvey. And screamed.

The left side of Harvey's face was destroyed, skin blackened and shrivelled. Teeth visible. The eyeball bulged from its socket. Harvey wasn't moving or breathing. The guilt came back in an overwhelming wave. It was all her fault. As the fire, police and ambulance services pulled up, Rachel felt as if her heart was being torn from her chest. She was almost hysterical as the paramedics loaded Harvey onto a stretcher and gave him an oxygen mask. As Jim Gordon came over to comfort her, Rachel sank to the ground, sobbing. She stared at the burned grass all around her. Through her tears, she managed to see something on the blackened ground that hadn't been there before. It was burning, just like everything else, but a picture was still visible. A Joker card...


	11. Decisions

Rachel walked into the hospital of Gotham. She checked the doors in Serious Damage. 1407, 1408...1409. Harvey's room. She knocked and went in. She saw Harvey's face again and choked on a sob.

"Harvey, I am so sorry!"

"Shhh...Rachel, it wasn't your fault! This will make you stop feeling sorry for me, you'll probably hate me, but I've got to do it! Last week I received knowledge that my job was in jeopardy. My superiors seemed to think that I caused a lot more trouble than I got rid of, and probably because they didn't want my face appearing on screen, even after all the surgery I'm going to have. They told me that I had five days to resign...and I couldn't do it. You know how much I love my job! Well, these people turned out to have a backup plan if I didn't resign. They have appointed someone else District Attorney, and moved me down to..."

"My job." Rachel said matter of factly. "Undersecretary to the DA."

"Yes...Oh, Rachel, I'm sorry! I've done worse than just lost my job, haven't I?"

Rachel smiled. "This is amazing...I came here to tell you I was resigning...I mean, look at the attempts made on all our lives because of me, and-"

But Rachel never got to finish her sentence, because the TV in the hospital made an urgent news report. The reporter was smiling as if at some joke. _"And it looks as if our masked superhero has finally lost his marbles completely!" _The image switched to a live telecast of Batman and the Joker having a violent punch up on the rooftop of Rachel's apartment building. Rachel stood up.

"I've got to go!"

She raced out of the hospital, jumped into the car and sped back to her apartment. She hurtled through the doors and leaped into the elevator, pressing the button for the rooftop level. As the doors once again opened, Rachel heard Batman's voice yelling, "YOU STOLE RACHEL FROM ME, YOU SON OF A B-"

The Joker interrupted him, yelling back, "SHE CAME OF HER OWN WILL, YOU ASSHOLE! YOU WERE JUST TOO BORING!"

"OKAY, STOP!" Rachel roared, getting out of the elevator. Both boys turned to her.

"Rachel, I've had enough of this! Choose who you want to be with right now!" Bruce shouted.

Rachel looked from one to the other. The Joker shrugged. "Guess you gotta choose, dollface! Told ya life was hard!"

Rachel sighed. She thought about it for a few seconds. She made her decision...


	12. It's Not Over Yet

"Bruce, I want you to know that I will always be there for you, I will always be there to take care of you. I promise you that. I will always be...your friend." Rachel's eyes were welling up with tears at the thought of how Bruce must be feeling, but she had to say the truth. She didn't love him.

Bruce's eyes were also welling up now. "OK...just promise we'll always be friends?"

Rachel smiled wobbly. "Of course! Who else will save me from certain death?"

Bruce shook his head in tearful amusement and headed back towards the elevator. Rachel turned to the Joker. "And as for_ you_..." Rachel put a hand to his cheek. "There's only one guy crazy enough to give me adventure beyond my dreams, and funny enough to keep me laughing till the end...YOU."

The Joker's brown eyes widened in surprise. "Well, that's a tender offer I _can_ ignore!"

"I'm deadly serious!" Rachel exclaimed.

"And I'm not! Surely you know by now, beautiful, I never am! Bruce will be back again for you and you probably like him much better anyway. I mean, no beauty contest, right?" He said with a bitterness Rachel had never heard in him before, indicating his scars.

"I don't care about the scars!" Rachel cried exasperatedly. "You once said yourself that now you were always smiling! I thought you'd be happy about this!"

The Joker looked away. "Yeah? Well, I'm finding that hard at the moment! Hey," he said, turning back to look at her, "close your eyes."

Rachel knew by now not to interfere with his crazy schemes. Not knowing what was coming, Rachel closed her eyes obediently.

She felt soft lips brush hers, softly, delicately, lovingly. She heard a voice whisper in her ear. "It's not over yet!"

Rachel opened her eyes slowly. Gone. He was...gone.

Rachel felt an ice cold tear slide down her cheek. She covered her mouth with her fingers and let the tears flow freely. She sat down on the rooftop and wept silently. Everything was wrong. She had made Harvey disfigured, broken Bruce's heart, and now the stupid Joker had broken hers.

"He breaks a lot of people." Rachel suddenly realised. "He leaves nothing in his wake but chaos and misery. I was stupid to fall in love with him, to choose him over Bruce!"

Rachel stood up and began to walk what seemed like a thousand miles back to the elevator as it started to rain, heavily. She vowed to herself as she walked. _"I swear I'll never be caught up in the world of the Joker again!"_

Reaching out to push the button to summon the elevator, Rachel could have sworn she heard a familiar laugh.

Rachel looked a the radiant sunset, her drenched chocolate hair whipping in the fierce wind, and thought,

"Yes, Melvin. It's not over yet!"

THE END


End file.
